Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an African-American girl group whose final and best-known line-up comprised Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland & Michelle Williams. Formed on 1997 in Houston, Destiny's Child members began their musical career as Girl's Tyme when they formed in 1990 comprising Knowles, Rowland, LaTavia Roberson & LeToya Luckett among others. After years of limited success, the quartet were signed in 1997 to Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment as Destiny's Child. Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album in the U.S. on February 17, 1998 featuring productions by Tim & Bob, Rob Fusari, Jermaine Dupri, Wyclef Jean, Dwayne Wiggins and Corey Rooney. Destiny's Child peaked at number 67 on the Billboard 200 and number fourteen on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It managed to sell over one million copies in the United States, earning a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The remix version to the album's lead single: No, No, No reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Its follow-up single, With Me Part 1 failed to reproduce the success of No, No, No. Meanwhile, the group featured on a song from the soundtrack album of the romantic drama Why Do Fools Fall in Love and Get on the Bus had a limited release in Europe and other markets. In 1998, Destiny's Child garnered three Soul Train Lady of Soul awards including Best New Artist for No, No, No. Knowles considered their debut successful but not huge, claiming as a neo soul record it was too mature for the group at the time. Destiny's Child was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling second album, The Writing's on the Wall (1999), which contained the number-one singles, Bills, Bills, Bills and Say My Name. Despite critical and commercial success, the group was plagued by internal conflict and legal turmoil, as Roberson and Luckett attempted to split from the group's manager: Mathew Knowles, citing favoritism of Knowles and Rowland. In early 2000, both Roberson and Luckett were replaced with Williams & Farrah Franklin; however, Franklin quit after 5 months, leaving the group as a trio. Their third album, Survivor (2001), which contains themes the public interpreted as a channel to the group's experience, contains the worldwide hits Independent Women, Survivor and Bootylicious. In 2002, they announced a hiatus and reunited 2 years later for the release of their fourth and final studio album, Destiny Fulfilled (2004). Destiny's Child has sold more than 60 million records worldwide to date. Billboard magazine ranks the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time, the ninth most successful artist/band of the 2000s, placed the group 68th in its All-Time Hot 100 Artists list in 2008 and in December 2016, the magazine ranked them as the 90th most successful dance club artist of all-time. The group was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning twice for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and once for Best R&B Song.